Scuffles between police and protesters broke out after
a smaller than predicted number of
demonstrators staged a short and peaceful
march in central Sydney against the Asia-Pacific
Economic Co-operation forum.

A massive police presence contained the largely
good-natured crowd that had included families
and children.

Police fears of widespread violence did not
eventuate, but there was some trouble.

A police spokesman said five marchers had been arrested and two
officers were injured when some trouble flared. One officer was
hospitalised with unspecified head injuries. No further
details were available.

About two hours after the march ended in Hyde
Park, police detained another three men.

Two of the men, who were named on an APEC blacklist,
were dragged away by officers, placed in a police bus but later
freed.

Paddy Gibson - who had helped organise today's march - said he
was in cafe in the park when he saw police grab and take away
one man.

"When I started complaining and they said 'take him away as
well'," he told smh.com.au.

Witnesses saw Mr Gibson grappled to the ground and then escorted
from the scene. Both men were released 20 minutes later.

This afternoon lines of police were deployed on Elizabeth Street
near the Sheraton on the Park Hotel, where some APEC delegates are
staying. About 200 protesters remained in the park.

Organisers estimated that 10,000 people took part in this
morning's march. Earlier in the week, police had ominiously
predicted 20,000 might show up and warned of the danger of
rioting.

Protest organisers pointed to the general good behaviour of the
crowd and accused authorities of overreacting and deliberately
exaggerating security concerns.

They said police had tried to browbeat demonstrators by
putting hundreds of officers on the streets at huge expense to
taxpayers.

"It's been an absolutely fantastic rally you should all be
congratulated," Alex Bainbridge of the Stop Bush Coalition
told the crowd.

As APEC leaders - including US President George Bush and Prime
Minister John Howard - met at the Sydney Opera House for their
summit, riot squads with shields and were deployed in some parts
CBD.

The protesters gathered at Town Hall and moved slowly towards
Hyde Park following a police-approved route.

Lines of police funnelled the crowd down Park Street towards the
park as helicopters hovered above.

Seven buses, converted into oversized police paddy wagons, were
parked in a line that blocked George Street outside the Queen
Victoria Building. The recently acquired NSW Police water cannon
was stationed nearby.

There was little trouble among protesters as their march took
on an almost festive air.

One woman was seen being led away by officers near the QVB.

In another incident, five policemen grappled one male protester
to the ground on Park Street. The man was led away by other
officers as surrounding demonstrators chanted: "shame, shame".

One witness later alleged that the man had been throwing objects
at some marchers in an bid to provoke
trouble.

Police also led away a man who was naked except for a
strategically placed sock. Across his bare chest was written: "Hey
(Police Commisioner Andrew) Scipione, where's my concealed
weapon?"

Many of the protesters carried placards reading: "End the
occupation of Iraq", "Save the planet", "Drop Bush, not bombs" and
"Put the water cannon to good use. Give Morris Iemma an enema".

Others chanted: "We are peaceful, Bush is not".

Before the rally, NSW Police Minister David Campbell said people
would be free to use their democratic right to protest but officers
also had a responsibility to ensure the safety of international
visitors and the public.

Mr Campbell told ABC Radio organisers of the Stop Bush Coalition
demonstration faced a challenge to keep the protest peaceful and
not allow other groups to cause trouble.

"Of course the concern is there are other people from other
organisations such as Mutiny, another group called AC/DC and a
group called Resistance, who said they would come to Sydney intent
on violence," Mr Campbell.

"There is concern that they might just join that demonstration
and then try break out of it in some way."

The commander of the Public Order and Riot Squad , Chief
Superintendent Stephen Cullen, said he feared anarchist groups
would infiltrate the protest and whip it into a violent mob.

But Mr Bainbridge said police predictions of violence had
been "propaganda".

"They're trying to use the talk about violence to disguise the
real issues we're raising at the protest rally," he said.